Abstract
Curcumin is a yellow orange powder, which is extracted from the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa). Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid of the turmeric(C. longa).Curcumin wasï¬rst isolatedin 1815and its chemical structure was determined by Roughleyand Whiting in 1973.It has been identiï¬ed as 1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione-1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-(1e,6e) or diferuloylmethane. Turmeric has been listed as ‘‘generally recognized as safe’’ (GRAS) as a coloring andflavoring agent in food by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As per WHO, as an additive thedailyacceptabledoseofcurcuminforhumanshasbeendeï¬nedas0–3mg/kgbodyweight.Curcumincanbeadministeredbydifferentroutes as topical, oral, and inhalational. Curcumin inserts deep into the cell membrane in a manner similar to cholesterol. Curcumin has a high lipophilic character, and body fat has a high percentage of bound curcumin. The systemic bioavailability of orally administered curcumin is low in humans and only traces of it have been found in the liver and portal circulation. Piperine has been reported to increase the bioavailability of curcumin. Recently, it has been reported that newly developed nanoparticulate curcumin has better bioavailability. There is a growing list of disease conditionsthatcanbetreatedbycurcumin.Curcuminhasbeenfoundtohavetherapeuticeffectsinwoundhealingandinvarioustypesofarthritis, cardiovasculardiseases,diabetes,pulmonarydiseases,Parkinson’sdisease,andinAlzheimer’sdisease.Curcuminhasbeenreportedtohavepoten- tial role in the treatment of atherosclerosis, arthritis, chronic anterior uveitis, colon cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis, hypercholesteremia, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, and even HIV.